Thalapathy Vijay's ‘Jana Nayagan’ Row Reaches Supreme Court Over CBFC Clearance

Producers of Vijay-starred Jana Nayagan and the Central Board of Film Certification are now facing off in the Supreme Court, after a Madras High Court Division Bench has stayed the film’s certification process that earlier moved forward with a U/A 16+ rating ordered by a single judge.

The dispute has reached a critical stage because the Division Bench order dated January 9, 2026, has halted certification of the Tamil film, undoing the earlier direction of the single bench of the Madras High Court, which had instructed the CBFC to clear Jana Nayagan with a U/A 16+ rating.

Jana Nayagan certification row: Supreme Court challenges to Madras High Court order

KVN Productions LLP, which is producing Jana Nayagan, has approached the Supreme Court with a petition seeking an ex parte interim stay, or alternatively an ad interim stay, on the operation of the January 9, 2026 Division Bench order that put the certification process on hold.

The plea filed by the producers not only asks for an immediate halt to the Madras High Court’s interim order but also requests liberty for the Supreme Court to grant any other relief considered appropriate in the circumstances of the Jana Nayagan certification row, keeping the film’s release timeline dependent on the court’s decision.

Jana Nayagan certification row: Exact wording of producers' Supreme Court plea

The petition states, "It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that Your Lordships may graciously be pleased to: - a) Ex parte, through an interim or ad-interim order, stay the operation of the impugned interim Order dated 09.01.2026 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Madras in C.M.P No. 821 of 2026 in W.A. No. 94 of 2026; and/or pass such further or other orders as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper AND FOR THIS ACT OF KINDNESS THE PETITIONER AS IN DUTY BOUND SHALL EVER PRAY."

Alongside the producers, the CBFC has also moved the Supreme Court in the Jana Nayagan certification row, asking for a clear instruction that no order be passed in this matter without hearing the film certification authority, signalling the board’s intent to be formally heard before any relief is given.

The controversy began when the CBFC decided to reassess Jana Nayagan because some scenes were viewed as having the potential to hurt religious sentiments, especially with certain depictions that, according to the board, needed closer review instead of straight certification.

Before this review demand by the CBFC, a single bench of the Madras High Court had ruled in favour of Vijay’s film and ordered the censor board to grant a U/A 16+ rating, but the CBFC then challenged that decision, and during the appeal, the Division Bench stayed certification and sought expert opinion on scenes involving the armed forces in the movie.

With both KVN Productions LLP and the CBFC now having filed separate petitions, the Jana Nayagan certification row currently sits with the Supreme Court, and the film’s future rating and release schedule await the outcome of these legal proceedings between the producers and the certification authority.